Today continues our 3 post series on evangelism by Josh Page. You can find Josh on facebook for regular updates and insights on preaching to the lost.
One day I went out from my campus in absolute fear and I found a woman waiting at a bus stop for her son. With trembling hands I gave her a gospel tract and stuttered my way through the Gospel as best I could. It went well actually and to my surprise, she thanked me for stopping to talk with her. I thought to myself, “Okay, I can do this!” But when I walked away and found other people along the path, it seemed that every conversation turned out to be awful. I was so discouraged and walked back to campus with my head down. I resolved I would never share my faith with a stranger again. I was certainly not called to this ministry.
All week long while I refused to witness to the lost, the Lord convicted me that people are going to Hell and that I have the very message that can save them from His wrath but I will not share it for fear of man. When I could take His conviction no longer, I marched off my campus and went back onto the streets in fear and found some more lost souls. I was rejected some and encouraged some, but this time I did not stop! I had a fresh sense of God’s presence about me. I knew that He was pleased that I was stepping out of my comfort zone and sharing His Son with the lost. This compelled me to continue daily. I knew that He was with me always even to the end of the age and I knew that my labor in the Lord was not in vain.
It is five years later now and by God’s grace I share my faith everywhere I go with as many people as I can every day. I am more sobered by the reality of Hell and I am more broken for the lost and zealous for the Lord than ever in my life.
Paul said in Philemon, “I pray that you would be more active in sharing your faith so that you may have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ.” (Philemon 6) Isn’t that interesting? We have a more full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ the more that we share our faith!
The Gospel is a treasure of infinite value - When we share this treasure with those who do not have it, it becomes more precious to us!
I am always encouraged when I read the book of Acts and see how passionate the early Church was to preach the Gospel. It wasn’t just the apostles who were preaching the Gospel daily, but the normal-everyday Christian folk as well. When Saul came on the scene to persecute the Church in Acts 8, Luke tells us that all except the apostles were scattered and they preached the Word wherever they went! These people had something special - the Good News and a really clear command from the Giver of the Good News to go and preach it to all creation - and so they did! Guess what? We have the same thing they did. Hallelujah!
I am amazed at the excuses I made for so many years to not share my faith. Every one of those excuses completely crumbles to pieces underneath the weight of God’s Word.
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